{We are trying to enjoy and record the moments that make life special}

For a while Alex has been showing all the signs he is ready to go potty. His diaper is dry when he gets up from a nap, he knows when he is going (and announces it), he holds his poops until he gets home from preschool (“saving it for us” as they say it at preschool), etc.

And we’ve been asking him if he wants to go potty like a big boy – but, no luck.

We celebrated his 3rd birthday and talked a lot about how 3 year olds go pee-pee in the potty and we thought this would do the trick. We would offer quite a bit – but still no luck.

We didn’t want to push and we didn’t want to make a big deal out of this. So, when he said no, we just said OK.

Finally – when Grandma Sandy was over not too long ago – she caught something that we had missed.

When we asked Alex if he wanted to go pee-pee in the potty – he would say “No, I’m not wearing underwear”. We would say something to the effect that he needs to go pee-pee in the potty first, then he’ll wear underwear.

The greatness of Grandma Sandy (Thank you!) – She suggested to us that he wear underwear first!!!!! It was the underwear first, then the pee-pee in the potty that followed!!!!

Ding Ding Ding – you are a winner!

We tried it this weekend, but he had one accident and didn’t want to do it again. His confidence was a bit shaken. We tried it after coming home from preschool in the evenings and have had some luck.

Then, Tuesday morning when getting ready to go to Preschool – he wanted to wear underwear and I said OK. We put on the underwear (superman underwear to be specific!) and he had a big pee in the potty. He wore his underwear to Preschool and we brought some extra clothes and underwear for him, just in case.

When we came to pick him up today – we got the fabulous news – he stayed dry all day and went pee-pee in the potty, no accidents. Everyone was cheering him on at Preschool, saying what a big boy he was. The teachers would remind/ask him if he had to go every ~45 minutes and sometimes he said yes and sometimes no.

This last weekend we went to the “fighter-fighter” house (aka fire station) and had a pancake breakfast. We saw it in the paper and thought Alex would absolutely love it!

Well – we were right! He had so much fun. We got to see “real” fire fighters and “real” fire trucks. They let the kids climb in and around the fire trucks and it was so much fun we spent about an hour there just eating and playing.

We had a blast this weekend celebrating Alex’s 3rd birthday. A while ago we asked him what he wanted for his birthday – he had quite a long list. It included a “real” superman cape (not just a towel), a “real” bike, a golf club, and “everything”.

Well – we delivered on something wishes – but definitely not “everything”, although – I would say we have a pretty happy boy.

We threw a party for him and his friends on Sunday and had a great time. We rented the Nest in Woodinville, got some sandwiches and wraps, fruit and drinks and of course – the CAKE (from this bakery)! By request – a superman cake. It was so yummy! The nest has lots of fun things to do, like ride in a boat with a life vest, play with tools, etc.

It was fun to see the kiddos and their parents that I don’t get to see that often and see how their kiddos are growing and learning and getting so big!

Alex got to blow out his candles all by himself and everyone cheered and sang happy birthday to him and he had the most wonderful smile on his face.

I’m following along with some photography exercises with a blog I love to read Me Ra Koh Photography, which is also the workshop that I attended nearly a year ago.

Photo exercise # 1 was all about capturing details and how details tell the story. Photo exercise # 1 This is something that I definitely have to work on. I often find myself looking at the pictures I’ve taken and find them all from the same wide view. Capturing the details, as well as the wide views, and everything in between tells the story of what is happening – the whole story. From this exercise – I’m trying to remember to capture more detailed shots that are closer and more intimate with the subject.

It is a moment of emotion, tension, struggle, achievement, or an exchange between two people with something hanging in the balance.

Conflict images need to tell us something about your subjects. They make your subjects more dimensional instead of a flat, one dimensional image.

The Conflict revealed in an image allows us to connect with the subject because we now identify with their struggle, achievement, tension, emotion…whether it be positive or negative. A Conflict image can be the expressions you know so well—the single expressions that say so much about the ones you love.

The Conflict images give us a window into their lives.”

How’s this for conflict?

When Alex was having so much fun sledding in Leavenworth – that he didn’t want to leave.

Or holding a worm in his hands and being a little scared because it’s “slimy”

I recently had some maternity photos taken by Keri Meyers. She’s a great local photographer who also took our Fall photos last year that we used on our Christmas card. We’ve also hired her to take newborn photos when our little girl arrives. Look forward to that!

I wanted to post a few – I love them and so glad that I got them taken. This time around has been so different for me. I feel so much better and feel like I look so much better. When I was pregnant with Alex, I just didn’t feel good or think I looked good. But, this time is different. And, plus – I’m not planning on getting pregnant again – this is my last chance to savor every moment.

I love all of them, but especially the one with Alex kissing his baby sister. Every morning and sometimes throughout the day – he comes over to me and “hugs and kisses his baby sister”. Even though he sometimes hugs and kisses with a little too much intensity – I still love it and love that he does this. I want to remember these moments forever.

What a loving big brother Alex is. He also asks when she is going to come out and we say after his birthday – he is really excited to have her out. He talks about how he will share his toys with her and he wants to teach her how to play football someday. When he does something that is very “big boy” we say something to him like “what a big boy you are becoming” and he says “NO, I’m not a big boy – I’m a big brother!”.

Although we know that when she actually joins us – it won’t be all this love and affection. We are bracing ourselves (as best we can) for all sorts of behavior issues related to having a new member to our family. We are enjoying these loving moments for now – staying in the present.

Check it out (Torgesen Family Times) – isn’t it beautiful? (if you’re viewing from a feed – click on over so you can see the design)

I especially love the photos at the top – and I even figured out photoshop enough (I’m trying to learn a bit) to be able to make those compositions. And that’s saying quite a bit! I’m going to work on putting some of my favorite photos up there – so stay tuned.

I love reading blogs in the mornings and while reading a blog on Friday I saw a link for a new blog template that I loved at a price I couldn’t refuse - $12! I’ve been looking for something to spice things up a a bit! I got it here if you want to check it out and see what else she has to offer: cinnamon girl studio design.

I love that it’s an extra wide blog that is great for pictures. I can post some big photos without them being cut off.

Let’s try it out – see what it looks like!

Behold my “rockstar” son (I have no idea where he knows the word “rockstar”)

He got the glasses from preschool and found a “phishing stick” which is a large curved cedar branch in the yard. He spent a considerable time on Saturday with the nice weather “phishing” in the ditch.

It’s one of those “nesting” things – you know – where you get all this energy and drive to start and complete things around the house to “get ready for the baby”. Well – this is a great example.

What an ugly and I mean UGLY powder room. We’ve only been living with it for 6 1/2 years…

Since it’s our only downstairs bathroom – it gets used a lot. And it’s SO UGLY! The powder blue sink is original to the house – circa 1984. Same with the tile – who thought that was attractive? The classic oak cabinets – not in bad shape, but oak. Sometimes it feels like everything in the house is OAK. Sometimes too much oak. We have beautiful oak flooring, but it doesn’t go underneath the cabinet.

It would be beautiful to put in a pedestal sink, but the flooring would be a problem. We could install some more flooring, but it wouldn’t match and would be a lot of work to make it match. Too much work for even a nesting pregnant lady.

We’re in the process right now of giving this small space a major update. We’re keeping an ode to the blue – but in a totally different way – you’ll just have to wait and see!!!

(Well, I guess he did go through a short phase where he was scared of it, but now back to complete obsession!)

The green grass is starting to grow around here and the lawn will need to be mowed soon!

The only problem with riding with Daddy on the “lawn mow” is that it’s so loud. I don’t want to hurt his little ears. For a while we could get him to wear Lance’s ear protection, but it didn’t quite fit and I didn’t want Lance’s ears to be damaged either. We looked at Home Depot but couldn’t find anything for kids.

So, I ordered some “junior” ear protection from the internet and they arrived in the mail. The day they arrived – he wouldn’t take them off! He wore them all evening and even slept with them in his bed (not on him, but next to him) all night long. He was waiting ALL week to try them out this past weekend. On Saturday morning, it was the normal pancake routine at ~7 AM, then he immediately wanted to go out and try out his “lawnmower ears” as he calls them (they are also called “chainsaw ears” if there is a chainsaw nearby). We convinced him that the neighbors wouldn’t be happy with us if we started up the lawnmower until after nap time.

“Mama – why do you want to take a picture of me with my chainsaw ears?”

“Because you’re so cute!”

Waving to Mommy while riding the lawnmower

Steering the lawnmower

Proud Daddy!

“Hey wait a minute! Maybe I can teach him to mow the lawn and he’ll do it for me…”